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This is perhaps the only quarter-final tie where the intrigue remains until the second leg. London's Chelsea will travel to Manchester hoping to overturn a one-goal deficit and possibly secure the future of coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Man Utd - London Chelsea Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester Referee: Olegario Benquerenca (Portugal) 21:45 Lithuania time Broadcast: "Viasat Sport Baltic" (live) First leg: Chelsea - Man Utd 0-1
The hosts are awaiting the match fairly calmly - the only doubt is regarding full-back Rafael, who has suffered a minor injury. However, midfielder Darren Fletcher has been missing from the squad for some time.
Chelsea has even less trouble - Ancelotti can choose from all players, as Alex and Yossi Benayoun have returned to the field.
Although Man Utd does not have a significant advantage, Chelsea faces a particularly challenging task knowing how Sir Alex Ferguson's players perform at home. Since 2005, the 'Red Devils' have not lost a single Champions League knockout match in front of their own fans, and this season, they have not stumbled at all.
The fate of Ancelotti may depend on the result from this evening, as the only trophy realistically within Chelsea's reach this season is this one. But optimism is dampened by the statistics - in the last three matches, the London club scored only two goals, and the new star Fernando Torres has been shooting blanks for 11 consecutive matches.
But the Italian himself was calm: "My future is already decided. I have spoken with owner Roman Abramovich and can say that I have a contract.
"I have always said that pressure is not a bad thing. It forces you to not lose concentration. And such matches are wonderful moments in a career. I am not afraid of anything and I am not worried."
Meanwhile, Man Utd coach Ferguson hinted that Chelsea signed Torres in January because they are "crazy" to win the Champions League.
"It seems they are crazy because they want to win the European trophy so badly that they even bought Torres," said the Scotsman. - Abramovich did not spare money for that.
"But winning the Champions League is not easy. After all, the best teams compete here. Look at how Barcelona plays - amazingly. And the semi-final, most likely, will be Barcelona - Real - if we play the next day, I will definitely go to the stadium."
Predicted starting lineups: Man Utd: Van der Sar; Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Nani; Hernandez, Rooney. Chelsea: Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Essien, Lampard; Anelka, Drogba, Malouda
